# How do you fix a tight draw?



## smokin_dad (Jan 25, 2012)

When I cut a cigar, I try and take the min off the cap, I don't normally cut the entire cap off. Sometimes I have tried a dry draw and noticed it was tight, so I recut. Sometimes this fixes it and sometimes it doesnt. (it normal fixes if the first cut didn't go through all "layers" of the cap) If it doesn't, I just use my draw tool or I try and massage out the knot. I have a buddy, that just puts up with tight draw and doesn't fix. That to me, would not make a enjoyable cigar.

How do you fix your tight draw? Recut? draw tool, etc...


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## mcgreggor57 (Nov 3, 2011)

All of the above but will begin with the massage since it doesn't require any tools.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

A few of the cigars I've had over the years had tight draws. Some were due to having a higher rH than was optimum for that cigar. I would usually just place it in one of my lower rH containers for a week or so and try again. If that didn't work.....well, I don't have a draw tool but I found that one of my long star bit drivers works..lol. I'd rather have a 'real' draw tool but haven't gotten around to getting one yet.


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## smokin_dad (Jan 25, 2012)

yeah ever since I moved into a wineador and started buying a little higher quality cigar, I haven't experienced many with tight draws! I normally try the recut first. I am going to be getting a palio and was a little worried that I woudn't be able to recut a 52-56RG cigar! Plus I prefer 1 cut as opposed to multiple.


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## Johnpaul (Aug 15, 2011)

I have been very happy with my Boom draw tool.


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## sum12nv (Aug 22, 2011)

Pipe tool pokey but you already knew that


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## MontyTheMooch (May 27, 2012)

mcgreggor57 said:


> All of the above but will begin with the massage since it doesn't require any tools.


Never works for me. The masseur isn't thrilled with me smoking during the massage and it does nothing for the cigar. Plus the oil is a bit of a hinderance. :dance:


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## cadet (Apr 11, 2012)

Perfect. I guess an ice pick might work too.


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## kra961 (May 16, 2012)

2mm x 6" T-Handle Hex Key works really well


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## smartkid (Jun 5, 2012)

What i would do is to slam the cigar with moderate force against a table a few times to loosen up the fillers a little, i am serious, this works for 90% of the time for me. You will have to be very careful not to slam too hard or the wrapper might unravel, give it a try.


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## Fuzzy (Jun 19, 2011)

smartkid said:


> What i would do is to slam the cigar with moderate force against a table a few times to loosen up the fillers a little, i am serious, this works for 90% of the time for me. You will have to be very careful not to slam too hard or the wrapper might unravel, give it a try.


What kind of cigars do you smoke?? I would be damned if I would slam anything but a dogrocket on a table, not even once!!


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## Dubv23 (Aug 3, 2011)

I tried to smoke a Oliva g this morning a very firm box pressed cigar. I've had it 10 months now at around 62* and the draw was so tight that I got no smoke and a light head. I used my draw tool on it to no avail... Kept trying. If that doesn't work I give up


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## kra961 (May 16, 2012)

Gawds I had the most god awful GreyCliff Avelino last night, first time no less for that brand. I think I stabbed that damn thing half a dozen times trying to get it unplugged the beast just wouldn't die, Finally gave up and grabbed a 5 Vegas classic.


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## arkiesmoker (Sep 20, 2008)

I massage the cigar. If that doesn't work I use a straightened paper clip as a draw poker. I then light the cigar and if I find the draw is absolutely ruining my enjoyment I will cut about an inch or so from the foot. If that doesn't open up the draw I will cut another inch. If that doesn't work I toss the stick.


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## Eric_H (Apr 4, 2012)

I start by cutting deeper into the cap, if that doesn't work I use metal wire which works sometimes, but I really need to look into a pipe tool. If all else fails it goes in the trash, drawing too hard makes a cigar a chore.


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## Quine (Nov 9, 2011)

No all tight draws are bad. Some sticks are designed and rolled to produce a tight draw, but there should still be a lot of smoke. The real problem with too-tight draw most of the time is that you can't get enough smoke out of the stick to taste anything.

Every cigar smoker should have a decent draw tool. There are so many "tight draw" complaints on the forum, and in the "worst sin" thread most people voted for too-tight-draw as the single worst sin in an otherwise expensive (or not) cigar. Whether the cause of the poor draw is over humidification or just the luck of the draw (ha ha) it's a hand-made product after all, a real draw tool can save lots (tho not all) of sticks from being wasted.

A Paper clip usually will not do. For a long while I used a small steel hibachi skewer. Much wider than a paper clip and square in cross-section, this usually opened up a decent hole, but it was actually too wide and sometimes caused the wrapper to split. Now I have a draw-tool like this: Cigar Tools - Custom Wineador™ Creations and it works pretty well. The last inch of the tip is laser etched to form small backwards-facing hooks which sort of saw out a little tobacco to give some room instead of just pushing leaf out of the way. A number of people here also make draw tools either using very narrow drill-bits or narrow steel rods with small hooks cut into them. The idea is the same, open up a hole and then pull out a little tobacco to provide room for air to flow through.

In my collection it seems about 1 in 10, sometimes more, cigars have an unpleasantly tight draw. Sometimes the draw doesn't seem so bad, but for some reason I don't get a lot of smoke from an otherwise decent looking stick. I go to the draw tool. Interestingly, I find it doesn't change the draw all that much, maybe 10% better. But it usually makes a huge difference in the amount of smoke I get from the stick, and that makes a potentially wasted stick a pleasure to smoke.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

Boom

Boom

Boom


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## z0diac (May 18, 2010)

A common misconception (even shown here in many replies  is that the part it's over-packed is in the foot. So they try cutting more and more of the cap off. Won't work.

Many times a tight spot might be at the head of the cigar or half way. I've smoked TONS of cigars (i buy a lot of factory seconds) that start off tight, then really open up an inch or two or three into the smoke.

Another misconception is that there's a tight 'spot clogging things up.

A lot of the time there's simply too much tobacco from head to foot, and no matter what you do, it's going to be a hard draw from top to bottom.

You could try prodding the middle with a small rod to try and open it up, but the fact is, many tight draws are either unfixable, or fix themselves during smoking.


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## Quine (Nov 9, 2011)

z0diac said:


> A common misconception (even shown here in many replies  is that the part it's over-packed is in the foot. So they try cutting more and more of the cap off. Won't work.
> 
> Many times a tight spot might be at the head of the cigar or half way. I've smoked TONS of cigars (i buy a lot of factory seconds) that start off tight, then really open up an inch or two or three into the smoke.
> 
> ...


Good points all of these and you are right, sometimes even with a good draw tool the draw isn't fixable, which for me means you never do get a decent amount of smoke from the stick. Sometimes also the stick corrects itself an inch or two in too, but if you are 2" in to a 5" cigar you've effectively struggled through half the smoke before it gets to the pleasant part.

I find the draw tool (sometimes used a few times on a single stick) helps a lot in about 75% of the cases where I use it so it might as well be tried if you have one handy.


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## nikesupremedunk (Jun 29, 2012)

I hate when this happens. Unfortunately for me, I ruined 2 sticks of Trinidad Robusto T's and a couple of Bolivar PC's due to high RH in my wineador even though the RH didn't read high at all. I tried everything from rolling between my palms, touching up the wrapper multiple times, using a poker, but in the end there is no way to reverse a overhumidified cigar when you're already smoking it. In fact, instead of making the smoking experience relaxing, it was making me more stressed out.


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## Llacrossedude7 (Jun 21, 2012)

I've have taken a coat hanger and clipped a long piece off and poked it down the center of the cigar and opened it up. This works fine if you don't have a draw tool. Just clean the coat hanger with soap and water first.


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## bcwv (Oct 3, 2009)

9 times out of 10 a lite massage will do it if not i break out the draw tool i hate to cut off more then I have to


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## BrunoBlack (Jul 9, 2012)

Usually gently rolling between the palms will sort it for me. Rarely I use my pipe tool spike, to open up a bit but never really had that big a problem with that.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

Most draw problems are due to storing improperly.
I try the boom tool once....if no luck, I toss........


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## Fuzzy (Jun 19, 2011)

I have finally used a draw tool. Here is the link to my short review of a new and different tool.

http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/cigar-accessory-reviews/312885-finally-steves-draw-tool.html


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